The Journey

Ecclesiastes 3-6

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 07:37:40 -0600

This is not intended as a full commentary, and there is an awful lot of content in these three chapters, but there is a verse in chapter three which sticks out as a good summary to me.

Here it is in the message (Eccl. 3:11)

True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time - but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going.

This seems to me a basic recognition and acceptance about life. God is good, everything has a place and time, but God has not (and probably in our limited minds, we cannot this side of heaven grasp) revealed everything to us. Sometimes He is a complete mystery to us. He has revealed the absolutely most important things--namely that He loves us and is taking care of us, but like a young child with his parent, sometimes we just have to trust that, because we don’t understand it at all! I frankly do not trust the Christian I meet who claims to have it all figured out. Prayer is the key they say. Or bible reading is the key. Obedience is the key. True all these things are key, but to say they are the key, as if all life is explained by the faithfulness or lack thereof in these issues is just patently false. God is not a human, but He is a person, a perfect one, but still one that goes beyond formulas. He is not a computer program or trained animal. He is God and He does what He pleases. Do we trust that what He pleases will be good for us? Only if we trust Him.

Ecclesiastes is the wisdom that comes to one when the very solid and usually reliable divinely inspired principles of Proverbs seem to break down.

What do you think?

1 Kings 11:1-40;Ecclesiastes 1-2

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 07:24:05 -0600

I love the book of Ecclesiastes. To me it reads as the culmination of wisdom that Solomon asked for. I know at first, and to some, it reads like a very cynical and pessimistic conclusion, but not to me. I think it’s more a very insightful revelation than a pessimism, and the consistent refrain at the beginning is not the end of the matter. In fact, it is the strength of this book, and the fact that it comes near the end of solomon’s life which leads me to conclude Solomon fully repented of his idolatry and problems throughout his life. He recognizes how political savvy, and lust lead him astray. But you do have to start at the beginning and the beginning is a refrain of

Meaningless, meaningless.

Solomon is the object lesson for all of us who have ever said, “If only...” We have heard that money won’t make us happy, but we wouldn’t mind the opportunity to prove it ourselves. We have heard that marriage wont’ satisfy all our greatest longings, but still we think “if only I were married then I’d be happy.” Or “If only I were single” or “if only I were popular” and on and on. The problem is it would destroy our lives to try everything only to find out that God was right in the first place. Still, it would be nice if there were some way to know for sure. If only somebody had tried it and moved this whole thing from theory to practice.

Solomon is that somebody. He asked for wisdom and I believe ultimately this is the culmination of that request. He tried everything! and discovered that none of it mattered. None of it made life worth anything. It was all meaningless. Even the form of wisdom for which he was best known, the kind of wisdom that some people only see in Proverbs (if they miss a few key things!)--formula’s and principles alone--even this is meaningless. Pleasure or folly is meaningless. In the first two chapters. Solomon goes back to the themes of wisdom and folly--and where Proverbs rightly said that wisdom leads to life, but folly to death--here Solomon also rightly acknowledges that in long run it doesn’t matter at all. At least not under the sun. Both people die. Neither path insures anything of value beyond your own existence.

Sounds bleak, and at this stage it is. But there is great wisdom in recognizing first the essential uselessness of everything we seek to use for happiness, and life and wisdom. Stopping there would be short of full wisdom, but it is greater wisdom than the one who still thinks these things are the key to life.

What do you think?

Proverbs 31;1 Kings 4:20-28;1 Kings 10:14-21;1 Chronicles 9:13-20; 1 Kings 10:23-25;2 Chronicles 9:22-24;1 Kings 10:26-29; 2 Chronicles 1:14-17; 2 Chronicles 9:25-28;

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 07:12:28 -0600

Proverbs 31 reveals that the Jewish mindset for the woman was not one of insignificant property, or incompetence. This ideal Jewish woman is competent and involved in all sorts of important family affairs. And yet it is also clearly a picture in which the woman’s involvement in all these affairs all stem from her inherent importance in managing the family. Those ideas alone are worth chewing on in our culture which seems sometimes to forget that one can be both competent and active and smart, and choose to prioritize the ministry and work at home.

The rest of the verses are records of the glory of the Solomonic years, but there is a hint or two of the weaknesses Solomon brings as well.

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt...

Deut. 17:16 (NIV)
The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again."

Interesting that the wisest man in the world, so clearly violates one of the very clear restrictions about kings which God gave since the institution of kings.

His political savvy may be what leads him at times into such clearly wrong actions. Politically it may be wise to make alliances and begin trade with Egypt. But in reality, it is simply another way to look to Egypt for salvation rather than to God. It is not so very different from the Israelites who complained in the wilderness and wanted to return to the very bondage they had just left.

Sometimes what the world says is smartest, is a good idea to God as well. Sometimes it’s not. Solomon forgot. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of Egypt is the beginning of Israel’s fall!

What do you think?

Proverbs 28-30

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 07:08:25 -0600

It’s easy to see again, that these are particularly of interest to Hezekiah.

Note how many of the verses are about dealing fairly and not oppressively or arbitrarily with people under your authority.

i.e.

A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.

To show partiality is not good...

and so on.

What other things do you see?

Proverbs 24-27

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 07:00:52 -0600

Reading through these one notices how many of them are exhortations about or for Kings (and others in authority). This, of course, makes sense then, that these Proverbs are specifically ones chosen and and copied by Hezekiah, King of Judah.

A few that stuck out to me.

1) I really like the reminders of how important a few well placed timely words can be. Scripture often reminds us how destructive the wrong words can be. The power to heal is equally significant here in these verses.

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (25:11)

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.(25:25)

1) I love the implication of this particular translation (NIV)

Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Excuse me? There’s just nothing you can do with a fool!

That’s the implication I like.

The truth on this, I think is that you should never answer a fool with the same folly, but you should answer him commensurate to his folly.

1) The progression in verse 26 is interesting.

a) A fool is really really bad (11 verses of very very strong images)
b) A man who is wise in his own eyes is seven times worse! (verse 12)
c) A Sluggard is very wise in his own eyes! (verse 16)

So what verses strike you?